1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to postgastrectomic mineral supplements and, more specifically, to therapeutic agents for postgastrectomic syndrome. The present invention also relates to methods for supplying Postgastrectomic mineral and methods for treating Postgastrectomic Syndrome.
2. Description of the Related Art
Gastric ulcers and stomach cancers that are caused by such factors as stresses arising from a complex modern society are typical adult diseases. Gastrectomy is performed for treating a variety of gastric diseases, most frequently, for treating stomach cancers and gastric ulcers.
Various mechanical or metabolic disorders occur after gastrectomy. For example, disorders such as postoperative hemorrhage, satural failure, and postoperative pancreatitis occur immediately or in the early stage after gastrectomy, while dumping syndrome, diarrhea, bone metabolism disorders and anemia are major disorders which occur after a certain period of time.
Bone metabolic disorders are mainly caused by malabsorption of calcium or vitamin D. Specifically, it is thought that bone metabolic disorders are caused by an insufficient uptake of calcium due to a reduction in the amount of diets and reduced solubility of calcium as a result of the reduced secretion of gastric acid due to the gastrectomy as well as a decrease thereby in calcium absorption. Moreover, diarrhea, dumping syndrome and the like are thought to interfere with the absorption of vitamin D that is essential for calcium absorption from the intestinal tract, triggering the resorption of calcium from the bones to the blood and the gradual development of bone lesions.
The reduced secretion of gastric hydrochloric acid as a result of gastrectomy also interferes with the absorption of iron which triggers a depletion of iron stored in the body to conceivably cause a form of anemia known as iron deficiency anemia. Further, after total gastrectomy, the lack of secretion of intrinsic factors such as transcobalamin from the gastric membrane will interfere with the absorption of vitamin B12, even if vitamin B12 is contained in sufficient quantities in ingested foods. This decreases stores of vitamin B12 in the liver to cause agastric pernicious anemia.
Thus, it was known that it is necessary to conduct adequate therapeutic management and alimentary therapy for a certain period after gastrectomy. For example, patients with bone metabolic disorders are fed diets rich in calcium, optionally, vitamin D or calcitonin formulations in combination. Anemia patients are fed diets rich in iron, optionally, iron formulations or vitamin B12. However, no effective postgastrectomic mineral supply has been reported and the management of postgastrectomic care may would be improved.
Meanwhile, indigestible oligosaccharides (particularly fructo-oligosaccharides) were reported to promote mineral absorption in healthy humans (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 145064/1995 and Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 252156/1995).